Japan · Investor

Rakuten

Last cheque observed Mar 2017. Silence since then is not evidence of inactivity: our sources miss unannounced rounds.

QuietCorporate VC

Series BSeedSeries AE-commerceElectronicsFintech

Cheques on record
0%of best year0cheques in 12 months, 10 on record
Since the last cheque3512days00hrs00min00sec
Median round$1.3MRounds led0 of 10Sole investor2 roundsExits1 from the portfolioMostly inUnited States, 70%
Pitch Rakuten

Rakuten highlights

  1. 01

    10 rounds on record

  2. 02

    Mostly Series B and Seed: 56% of its rounds

  3. 03

    Sole investor in 2 rounds, median $1.3M

  4. 04

    1 exits from the portfolio

What they do

Type
Corporate VC (from a list, unverified)
Cheque size
Not stated
Sectors
E-commerceElectronicsFintech
Based in
Setagaya-ku, Japan
Cold pitches
Not stated

The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first10 appearances

  1. 2017

    1 round

  2. Mar
    ShopChatUS · FinSMEs$1.3MSole investor
  3. 2013

    4 rounds

  4. Dec
    Coda PaymentsSeries A · SG · thebridge.jp$2.3MWith 4 others
  5. Nov
    CarousellSeed · SG · techcrunch.com$800KWith 4 others
  6. Aug
    SliceSeries B · US · techcrunch.com$23MWith 5 others
  7. Jul
    ApceraSeries A · US$5.0MWith 2 others
  8. 2012

    3 rounds

  9. Sept
    The GrommetSeries B · US · finsmes.comUndisclosedSole investor
  10. May
    PinterestSeries C · US · economictimes.indiatimes.com$100MWith 4 others
  11. Apr
    AHAlife.comSeries B · US · techcrunch.com$10MWith 2 others
  12. 2011

    2 rounds

  13. Sept
    OZON.ruGrowth · RU · finsmes.com$100MWith 3 others
  14. May
    DomoSeed · US · techrockies.com$10MWith 15 others

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

The team

We hold 10 people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

Exits from the portfolio

Companies it backed that were later bought or listed1 in all

SliceBought by RakutenUndisclosedAug 2014

An exit counts when it came after the firm's first round in the company. From historical deal records.

Companies it bought

Acquisitions by the firm itself

Fits.meUndisclosedJul 2015
VoyaginUndisclosedJul 2015
Deep Forest MediaUndisclosedMar 2015
Overdrive$410MMar 2015
Ebates$1.0BSept 2014
SliceUndisclosedAug 2014
DC Storm LimitedUndisclosedMay 2014
Viber Media$900MFeb 2014
SpotlightUndisclosedOct 2013
Viki$200MSept 2013
WebgistixUndisclosedJun 2013
wuaki.tvUndisclosedJun 2012

Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as Rakuten. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

Andreessen HorowitzVC firm2rounds togetherDCM VenturesPrivate equity2rounds togetherFirstMarkVC firm2rounds togetherGolden Gate VenturesVC firm2rounds together

Quick answers about Rakuten

What does Rakuten invest in?

Rakuten invests most often at Series B and Seed (56% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as E-commerce, Electronics and Fintech.

How active is Rakuten?

10 investments on record, 0 of them in the last 12 months. The most recent was in Mar 2017.

What has Rakuten invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: ShopChat (Undisclosed round, Mar 2017).

How big are Rakuten's cheques?

The median round it joins is $1.3M.

Does Rakuten lead rounds?

Rarely, if at all: none of its 10 investments on record names it as the lead.

Where does Rakuten invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (70%), Singapore (20%) and Russia (10%).

Is Rakuten investing now?

No investments in the last 12 months; the latest was in Mar 2017.

Who does Rakuten invest alongside?

Most often Andreessen Horowitz (2 rounds together), DCM Ventures (2 rounds together) and FirstMark (2 rounds together).

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Built from the rounds we watched, its filings and its own website, refreshed every night. How we count · Report a correction · Is this your firm? Claim it